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Yesterday, Nov. 20, 2008, the PLO published in ALL major Israeli daily newspapers the policy statement of the ARAB LEAGUE of 2003, (signed by 57 Arab or Muslim States) pledging to sign full peace and establish full normal relations with Israel if It returns to its pre-1967 borders and lets the Palestinians set up their independent State with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The publication of this policy statement by the PLO as a full-page advert in the Israeli daily press is an unprecedented political act of major importance. Since - like all ads in the daily press - it constitutes a direct appeal not just to the government, but to every Israeli citizen.
From now on it is no longer Israel's government which has to respond to this all-Arab peace move move, but every Israeli citizen.
From now on all Israeli claims that: "There is no partner for peace on the Palestinian side" or "The Arabs don't want Peace. They only want to exterminate us" will sound hollow when it comes from anyone who rejected the Arab League peace offer.
Israeli citizens will vote in January 2009 for a new Knesset.
Their vote will constitute their answer to the Arab League peace offer.
I hope most Israeli voters accept this offer.
In a letter dated 25/11/1929 Albert Einstein wrote Haim Weizman (who later beceme Israel's first president):
"Should we be unable to find a way to honest cooperation - and honest pacts - with the Arabs, then we have learned absolutely nothing during our 2000 years of suffering and deserve all that will come to us."
The choice facing the Israeli voters is between peace with the new Israeli settlers who occupy these conquered territories illegally and forcibly, or peace with the Palestinians who inhabit and cultivate these territories for over a thousand years. Israel's future will be determined by this choice.
Akiva ORR <aki_orr at netvision.net.il>